Cy Curnin of The Fixx comes to the Kennett Flash

“I think we’ve held up pretty well musically,” says Cy Curnin, founding member and lead singer of “The Fixx.” “The subject matter that we spoke about in the 80’s is the subject matter that people still fret and concern themselves with today.”

While music history has dismissed the legitimacy of many of the bands from that era, The Fixx epitomized the best of the 80’s by offering well-written songs with flawless musical execution. Often touching on social and political issues, The Fixx released nearly a dozen albums containing such rock hits as “One Thing Leads to Another,” “Red Skies,” “Stand or Fall” and “Saved by Zero.”

In 2007, Curnin got involved with a charity called “Love, Hope and Strength”(www.lovehopestrength.org). Started by Mike Peters (The Alarm) and James Chippendale (founder and CEO of CSI Entertainment Insurance), both leukemia survivors, the organization unites music loving hikers with a benevolent cause. “The charity basically sends the message that you need early detection to help the fight against cancer,” says Curnin. “People sign up who like rock and roll, trekking and have various personal reasons for donating to the cause. We’ve been to Kilimanjaro, Machu Pichu and we’ve just returned from Everest base camp for the second time. We also have concerts under the stars. We’ve raised millions of dollars and awareness. For me, it has been a life changer,” added Curnin. “Rock and roll is rock and roll, but you start to look for something a little more rewarding in your life and along comes this. It has been a perfect fit for me.”

While the Fixx has remained an actively touring and recording band for years, Curnin has taken this opportunity to expand his musical creative outlet. ‘When I was dragging my acoustic guitar around up in the mountains,” says Curnin, “I realized that there’s an easy side to performing, which is the singer songwriter approach. I started doing solo shows, and I enjoyed them so much I just kept them going. It’s a mix of songs from my last three solo albums. I’ll revisit early Fixx work and put a new spin on it and give a little tale of what went on. It’s nice, especially when you’re hitting your mid 40’s, 50’s, and you just want to get out there and really celebrate the basics and the simplicity of life again. That’s what these shows are for me. Reminiscing a bit and asking questions about where we are now. I have no real plan as to where the evening is going to go. I just take the temperature of the audience and off we go that night.”

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Formed in London, England, in 1979 by vocalist Curnin and drummer Adam Woods, The Fixx , whose current line-up also includes Jamie West-Oram (guitar), Rupert Greenall (keyboards) and Dan K. Brown, (bass), made their MCA Records’ debut with the release of the album “Shuttered Room” in 1982. On the strength of the album’s singles “Stand or Fall” and “Red Skies,” the record charted in the U.K., U.S. and Canada, where it reached the top 40. Their follow-up album, “Reach The Beach,” became the band’s most successful release with two Top 40 singles, “Saved by Zero” and “One Thing Leads to Another,” the band’s most commercially successful single.

Subsequent albums releases, “Phantoms,” (1984) “Walkabout” (1986), “Calm Animals” (1988) and “Ink” (1991), all enjoyed charting success in the U.S. and Canada and yielded a collection of hit singles, including “Are We Ourselves,” “Sunshine In The Shade,” “Deeper and Deeper,” “A Letter to Both Sides,” “Built for the Future,” “Driven Out” and “How Much Is Enough?”

“The 80’s were really the last original music movement,” says Curnin. “There was a lot of fluff and, with the birth of MTV, it became a visually based industry. Still, there were some great bands, and the music still does hold up. Back then MTV was a national radio station. Even though it was video, you could just hear what was going on across the nation on one station, which was really good. Now, it’s looking at the size of people’s houses and how big an idiot someone can be in front of a camera.”

In 2006, The Fixx released “The Twenty-fifth Anniversary Anthology,” featuring the band’s singles, albums and live tracks from their catalog. A cover version of the Nancy Sinatra classic “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” is included. Last year the band released “Beautiful Friction,” their tenth studio album.

“I’m glad everything happened back then the way it did,” reflects Curnin. “I really have fond memories of it and stories to tell my children and my grandchildren. Quite frankly, where I’m at now with the way that my life unfolds, I find that what I get out of what I do now is more rewarding. When you’re younger you tend to hide your limitations,” added Curnin. “As you get older you celebrate them. You always need to learn how to enjoy life no matter where you are. If you spend too much time regretting, you never end up being in the moment. I’m really enjoying being a writer and a thought provoker in this era that we live in now.”

Cy Curnin of The Fixx, with special guest Matthew Rineer, performs at the Kennett Flash, 102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, PA 19348 this Friday at 8:00 P.M. Tickets are $25.00 in advance and $28.00 day of show. For tickets call (484) 732-8295 or go to www.kennettflash.org.

About the Author

A Philadelphia based music journalist for over 30 years, Rob has interviewed, reviewed and photographed hundreds of well-known musicians and athletes. Working with almost every major music venue in the Philadelphia area, his writing has appeared in a variety of entertainment publications and newspapers. His work can frequently be found in print and on the web in the 21st Century Media newspapers. Rob resides in Phoenixville, Pa. Reach the author at (Unknown address)
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